While Smoke Fairies are championed by BBC Radio 6 Music and XFm, a welcome development recently came when the government invested £550,000 of public money in the Music Export Growth Scheme; the band was allocated a slice of the cake which "makes it possible for us to take our full band to the US", says Jessica.

Last Saturday I travelled from Manchester to Kent, then from Kent to London and from London to Paris... all in one day. I played two shows, was front row for Prada's Miu Miu resort collection show, and watched an ear drum busting Jack White gig at the Palais d'Ièna, Paris. Here's the story.

At the ripe old age of 63, Bruce Springsteen returned (if indeed he ever left) for his seventeenth album this year, a massive Hyde Park show, and a lot of campaigning for Obama's re-election. For a man who almost self-parodically sings of the hard-working heart and soul of America, he could certainly never be accused of not practising what he preaches.

By writing, recording and producing the majority of both albums, Kevin Parker is beginning to make a bit of a name for himself, and quite rightly so. Expect driving psychedelic rock, progressive songwriting and festival spotlight stealing sets throughout the summer.